Surface treating device



sept. 2s, 1965 J. J. STERN SURFACE TREATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 8, 1960United States Patent() 3,208,452 SURFACE TREATING DEVICE `lerome J.Stern, Englewood, NJ., assignor to Panray- Parlam Corp., a corporationof New York Filed Sept. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 54,688 8 Claims. (Cl. 12S-315)This invention is that of a skin penetrating and puncturing deviceuseful in a wide variety of skin penetrating applications such as occurin diagnostic and immunization and other procedures in medicine andtherapy. It is applicable, for example, in carrying out various skinpuncture type tests such as tuberculin, lepromin, histoplasmin,blastomycosin, and icoccidio testing; as a scarier in vaccinations suchas for smallpox, or with BCG vaccine; in scratch tests as in allergy andsensitization testing; or as a lancet as in hemotology or other uses. Itcan be used in other form of applications where the skin is to bepenetrated for the administration generally intradermally of adiagnostic :or immunizing or other agent.

Disadvantages in other devices used in these various applicationsinclude their limitation to one or another of the different needs;irregular penetration varying with differences in pressure applied bythe particular individual operator, or the characteristics of thepuncturing elements used to puncture the skin; time consumed in, or costof, the administration; or diiliculty in sterilization.

The advent of mass examinations or immunizations such as with tuberculintesting or BCG vaccination encouraged increased use of a multiple needlepenetrator. Attempts were made to develop automatic jabbing and/orWithdrawal actions in such a multi-needle applicator. Yet suchapplicator still showed most of the earlier named disadvantages. Inaddition, the cylindrical puncturing needles especially of thephonograph needle type did not evenly puncture the skin, but ratheroften simply tore it and did not give uniform penetration to theselected depth. Then also, sterilization need between uses reducedgreatly the number of individuals that `could be handled in a giventime. Furthermore, the needle assemblies were costly, and too much timewas required for changing needle heads and for overall assembly.

The skin puncturing device of the invention avoids such variouslimitations in the earlier devices. For example, an important feature ofthe device of the invention is the uniformity of penetration of thepuncturing needles into the skin and of the resulting punctures, withmuch greater certainty of introduction of the treating agent.

Another important feature is the earlier withdrawal of the needles fromthe punctures, following release of the handle pressure from theoperating handle, thereby considerably reducing undesirable cutting ofthe skin.

A further significant feature is the simplicity and low cost of thepuncturing needle assembly. Then a still further advantageous feature isthe ease and quickness by which the needle assembly can be removed andreplaced by a fresh one.

Still another feature is the more positive control of the treating agentfor more certain application of it by the individual penetratingneedles.

Yet another beneficial feature is versatility of the device, which makesit effective in a variety of applications which involve skin punctureand penetration by a testing or treating agent.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be seen from thefollowing detailed description of the illustrative particular embodimentof the invention shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a vertical section through the device before it is used; withsome parts shown not in section, and the linger grips shown in partialsection;

3,208,452 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 ICC FIG. 2 is a vertical sectionalview similar to that of FIG. l, but showing the position andrelationship of the parts after pressure was applied to the device andthe needle head impact pin had driven the penetrating needles into theskin of a subject;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view transverse to the axis of thedevice, taken along the line 3 3 and looking in the direction shown bythe arrows;

FIG. 4 is an 'enlarged sectional view transverse to the axis of thedevice, al-ong the line 4 4 and looking in the direction shown by thearrows;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view transverse to the axis of thedevice, along the line 5 5 and looking in the direction shown by thearrows;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the otherwise assembledpenetrating needles head, retracting spring therefor, and 'enclosing cupor cap; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of merely a different needle headwith only one penetrator needle of somewhat different form, and of thecorresponding needle enclosing cup or cap with merely one slit opening,but without showing the retracting spring.

FIG. 1 shows the enclosing housing or barrel 10 externally threaded atits upper end to register with internal threads in the lower and wideropening in top closure or handle anchor 11, and internally threaded atits lower end to receive in registry the external threads on the innerend of the needle head impact pin guide and base 12.

The needle head assembly (eg. as in exploded view FIG. 6) includesneedle head 15 in the form of a stamping unitary with its dependingskirt 21 and from which depend needles 22; and the latter two encloseneedle head return Vspring 16 based against th'e bottom of, and togetherwith skirt 21 and needles 22 encircled by, needle head shell Aor cup 17.Outwardly extending ange 18- at the upper end of cup 17 enables itsattachment against the outer end of head base 12 as later explained,while slits 19 in `the bottom end of cup 17 permit the projectiontherethrough of the cutting parts of needles 22 also as later described.

Indent or pocket 20, in the preferred and more advantageous form of headshell 17, as shown in FIGS. l-3, serves two very helpful purposes. Inone, on the inside it serves to hold the lower end of spring 16centered, thereby doubly to assure keeping it away from needles 22 whenthey are propelled downwardly. In the other, on the outside it serves asa pocket or reservoir that more dependably holds the testing or treatingagent, before the parts are activated, and makes it better available tobe carried along by the needles as they pass through slits 19 topuncture and penetrate the skin.

Flattened guiding segment 23, and preferably diametrically opposed suchsegments 23, in skirt 21 of ne'edle head 15 and correspondinglysimilarly located flattened guide surface 24, and advantageouslydiametrically opposed flattened guide surfaces 24, in the cylindricalportion of shell 17 serve more easily to position needles 22 for moreready passage through slits 19.

As shown more clearly inl FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, a tab segment 25 `is (andpreferably diametrically opposed tab segments 25 are, cut from iiange 18of head Ashell 17 and bent radially inwardly back over the closed top ofneedle head 15, thus to hold the latter enclosing and slightlycompressing spring 16 and encircled by the upright cylindrical part ofshell 17, so that all three of these parts thereby together constitutean unitary needle head assembly.

This unitary needle head assembly is held readily removably secured tothe outer end of needle head impact pin guide and base 12, by insertingflange 18 of needle cup 17 through the open segment of inwardlyextending ange 29 at the outer end of needle head attaching bushing 30(as seen in FIGS. 1-4) to seat the outer periphery of flange 18 a-gainstthe inner periphery of the narrower lower part of bushing 30, and, byholding the latter by its external knurling 32, rotating it so that itsinternal threads run over the external threads at the bottom end ofbarrel until flange 29 draws flange 18 tightly enough against the bottomof base 12 to hold the needle assembly sufficiently securely.

Considering now the activating elements of the device, as assembled inFIG. 1, starter or handle shaft 35 is held longitudinally axiallymov-able to and fro within the closely fitting central bore of topclosure and handle .anchor 11. A-s thus assembled, shaft 35 is heldremovable from that bore of anchor 11 by the radially outwardlyextending handle shaft anchoring ange 36 conveniently, although notabsolutely necessarily, integral with the inner end of shaft 35.

Palm or pusher handle 37 is secured preferably removably to the outerend of handle shaft 35 by suitable locking means such as locking bolt39. The inner end of starter shaft 35 by its integral ange 36 is inseparable ycontact with the upper end of operating shaft `40, the lowerend of which extends longitudinally axially slidable in close fit withinthe upper and open end of the closedbottomed central ybore of impactpiston 41.

The upper end of operating shaft 40 is supported by, and extends througha central aperture in, return sprlng compressing Washer 43 longitudinalaxially movably sup- .ported against the inner wall of the upper part ofbarrel 10 and removably anchored to the upper end of shaft 40 bysuitable removable anchoring means `such as U-shaped retainer washer 45snugly removably tted into the annular slot 47 in that end of shaft 40.That upper part of shaft 40 is loosely encircled by pusher handle 37,return yspring 49 compressibly extending ybetween its compressor washer43 and its stop or restraining washer 50.

Stop washer 50 is removably supported in fixed position on annularshoulder 51 provided by the relatively slight reduction in internaldiameter of barrel 10. Thus, compressor washer 43 and restraining washer`50 dene the longitudinally axially separated upper and lower endsrespectively of what can be called the pusher handle return springchamber.

Shaft 40 is longitudinally axially movable thro-ugh the central aperturein stop washer 50. Conveniently suitably below it shaft 40 passesthrough the central aperture in impact piston drive spring compressionwasher 52 held removably xed on, and movable with, shaft 40 by suitableremovable ianchoring means such as another U-shaped retainer washer 53snugly removably fitted into annular slot 55 in the correspondingintermediate location on shaft 40.

The corresponding intermediate portion of shaft 40 is loosely encircledby impact piston drive spring 58 com- Apressibly extending between itscompression Washer 52 and the upper end of impact piston 41. Thus,compression washer 52 and the upper end of impact piston 41 provide thelongitudinally axially separated upper and lower ends respectively ofwhat can be called the shortenable impact piston drive spring chamber.

Intermediate the lower end of drive spring 58 and the upper end ofneedle head impact pin guide and base 12, barrel 10 is reduced ininternal diameter to provide a narrowed impact end 62 and, at thelatters upper end, an annular shoulder `67. The latter is part of impactpiston restraining means comprising, for example, a restrainer ball cam,or perferably two diametrically oppositely positioned ball cams 68 witheach of them rollably supported in its separate respective one of twodiametrically opposed horizontally cylindrical bores extending radiallythrough the cylindrical wall of impact piston 41, and being temporarilyimmovably held by resting on shoulder 67 and being trapped between theinner wall of barrel 10 and the outer wall of control piston 70.

Control piston 70 is longitudinally axially slidable within the axialbore in impact piston 41, and has a radially annularly reduced portion71 which thus .provides the annular recess 72 intermediate the ends ofcontrol piston 70. Initially, as in the inactive position illustrated inFIG. l, control piston spring 73 is in its expanded condition betweenthe lower end of control piston 70 and the inner base 74 of the axialbore in impact piston 41. Thus, spring 73 holds the upper end of controlpiston 41 in separable contact with the lower end of operating shaft 40.

From the lower end of impact piston 41, needle head impact pin 77extends in longitudinally axially movable insertion into the upper partof axially central bore 78 in needle head impact pin guide and base 12.

Longitudinal engager slot 81, intermediate compression Washer 52 and thelower end of operating shaft 40, extends (in this embodiment) in shaft40 from a point about midway through head 83 of impact piston 41 to apoint about midway in the impact piston drive shaft chamber, and engageswith impact piston control pin 82 removably snugly inserted through aradial aperture in piston head 83 and protruding into slot 81 inlongitudinally to and fro movable engagement with it.

Finger grips 69 are attached at suitable diametrically opposed locationson the outside 4of barrel 10.

In using the device, a suitable quantity of a suitable form of thetreating agent (generally a physiologically suitable solution) is placedon a cleaned part of the skin in known manner, and spread to cover thedesired area. The device is taken hold of by engaging the undersides yoffinger `grips 69 generally with adjacent lingers and the top of pusherhandle 37 by the palm beyond the base of the thumb. The slotted base ofneedle head cup 17 then is placed gently in the center of the treatingagent covered area. While holding the device `firmly there, pressure isapplied to pusher handle 37. That (as seen from FIGS. 1 and 2) resultsin depressing simultaneously starter shaft 35 and with its operatingshaft 40 together with compression Washer 43 and in turn also depressingreturn spring 49 against stop washer 50. Depression of operating shaft40 simultaneously depresses spring compression washer 52 and therebycompresses impact piston drive spring 58.

The depression of operating shaft 40 simultaneously also depressescontrol piston 70 together with its reduced portion 71. When the annularrecess 72 then arrives at i the level of ball cams 68, they roll off ofshoulder 67 into annular recess 72.

With the earlier restraint on impact piston 41 thus removed, compressedspring 58 instantly thereafter expands. It thereby simultaneously shootsimpact piston 41 together with its integral needle head impact pin 77downwardly. The lower end of impact pin 77 thereby practicallysimultaneously strikes the closed base 86 of needle head 15 thereby atthe same time driving it downwardly so that needles 22 pass practicallyin the same instant through slots 19 and the treating liquid layer andpuncture and penetrate the skin, thereby drawing the treating liquidadhering to them along into the skin.

In the just foregonig described combination of actions, as drive shaft40 was being depressed and impact piston 41 was held stationary by beingrestrained by ball cams 68, impact piston control pin 82 thus likewiseremained stationary. However, slot 81 was being lowered with shaft 40 sothat the effect was that control pin 82 appeared in progressively higherrelative positions in slot 81.

The expansion of drive spring 58, by pushing impact piston 41 down, alsodraws control pin 82 back to its starting position at the lower end ofslot 81 (as seen in FIG. 2 compared with FIG. 1).

The aforesaid described shooting of impact piston 41 downwardlysimultaneously compressed control piston spring 73 .and needle headreturn spring 16. Having allowed to elapse the mere small fraction of amoment needed for the needles 22 to reach the set selected depth ofpenetration into the skin, the palm pressure is removed from pusherhandle 37. That then simultaneously releases the pressure on washer 43and simultaneously on return spring 49, and thus also raises operatingshaft 40. It simultaneously raises control piston 70 because of thelocation of control pin 82 at the bottom of slot 81, and with it needlehead impact pin 77. That thereby releases the pressure on base 86 ofneedle head 15, so that almost simultaneous with the withdrawal ofpressure from pusher handle 37, needle head return spring 16 can expandand push needle head back to its retracted position as in FIG. 1 withsimultaneous withdrawal of needle 22 from the skin.

Then the instant that ball cams 68 reach the level of shoulder 67 insideof barrel 10, the downwardly outward inclination of lannularly reducedportion 71 rolls cams 68 onto shoulder 67 (again as in FIG. 1) and outof the path of control piston 70 so that it no longer is restrained. Asa result, control piston spring 73 expands and raises control piston 70so that its top again contacts the lower end of shaft 40.

The complete needle assembly then can be very quickly removed from thedevice merely by taking hold of its attaching bushing 30 by its knurling32 yand giving that bushing about a quarter of a turn, or merely enough,to loosen the grasp on flange 18. By at the same time turning the deviceto have the open end of flange 29 face downward, the needle yassemblywill fall out of the device. A sterilized needle assembly then can beattached by the reverse Aprocedure already described, and the device ineven less Vthan a second is ready for use again.

The used needle assembly can be discarded at no great loss for they arevery inexpensive as both needle head 15 and cup 17 :are made merely asstampings, and the piece of spring 16 also is inexpensive. However, foradditional economy, if desired, Iany number of accumulated needleassemblies can be sterilized together by proper approved dependableprocedure.

The assembly of the device is simple. The bottom end of barrel 10 can beclosed as already described by screwing on impact pin guide and base 12.On the outside, 'spring 73 can be dropped to inner base 74 of piston 41,and -control piston 70 slid in atop of spring 73. Then spring 58,compression washer 52, retainer washer 53, stop washer 50, spring 49,compressing washer 43 and retainer washer 45 can be mounted about shaft40 in obvious manner in their just named sequence. p The lower end ofshaft 40 then is inserted into the central bore in head 83 of impactpiston 41 and rotated until slot 81 can be seen through the orifice toreceive control pin 81 to be in registry with the orifice. Pin 82 thenis inserted deep enough not to protrude -outside of the outer peripheralsurface of head 83. Then as the entire assembly from impact pin 77 up toretainer washer 45 is being inserted through the open top of barrel 10,ball cams 68 are placed in their respective orifice holders.

Shaft 35 then is inserted upwardly through the bottom -of the bore inhandle anchor 11 and drawn upward till anchoring flange 36 touches itsunderside. Pusher handle A37 then is set on and locked in place. Thehandle anchor then is screwed over the top of barrel 10 as alreadydescribed.

Any lof the specifically described parts can be replaced by any othersphysically suitable to perform the equivalent function. To be able toseparate shaft 40 from head 83 of impact piston 41, Ifor disassemblingthe device, when initially preparing those parts, a bore just like thatfor receiving control pin 82 c-an be reamed in head 83 diametricallyopposite the first orifice. Then also a bore of like diameter can bereamed diametrically through shaft 40 at the upper end of slot 81 andtransversely to its axis. Then to separate shaft 40 from impact piston41, shaft 40 is depressed .into impact piston 41 funtil pin 82 is inregistry with the top of slot 81. Control pin 82 then can be knocked outby inserting through the two other orifices in registry with it aknockout pin of suitable size and tapping it against pin 82 until it isdriven out.

Instead of needle head 15 with four needles and needle cup 17 with fourslots, corresponding needle heads and cups with a higher number ofneedles and slots respectively can be used :and made of similarstampings, eg. 'six of each; or with a lower number even down to one asillustrated in FIG.- 7; and with different design needles such as needle22b in FIG. 7, wherein the broader faces converge outwardly toward oneanother; or also with different peripheral outlines, depending 4on theuse to be made of them.

A stock of sterilized needle assemblies can be kept on hand. Forexample, the assembly can be inserted up to flange 18 into one end of asleeve of a plastic material stable to steril-ization and longer thancup 17. Each such assembly so inserted in such sleeve can be enclosed ina sealed plastic envelope, and .a plurality of such articles thus can beproperly sterilized. They can be kept on hand in any convenientcontainer, and used singly by tearing open the single envelope, holdingits contents by the extended length lof the sleeve, thus engaging flange18 on flange 29 of the device, and tightening bushing 30, and pullingoff the protective plastic sleeve.

The device need not be limited t0 use with humans, with whom apenetration of one-half or one milliliter more commonly is used(provided for, e.g. by using teeth of the necessary length), but alsocan be used with animals Or in other applications Where a surface is tobe penetrated in a relatively similar way, even with fruits orvegetables or other articles.

While the invention has been explained by detailed description ofcertain specific embodiments of it, it is understood that variousmodifications and substitutions can be` made in any such modificationswithin the scope of the appended claims which are intended also toinclude equivalents of any of the specific embodiments.

What is claimed is:

1. In a surface puncturing and penetrating device, a

cylindrical barrel having an operating end and a puncture applicationend; a top closure-bushing attached at the operating end thereof; abottom closure-bushing attached at the other and application endthereof; co-axially posi- `tioned within said barrel lan axiallylongitudinally movable .shaft having two separable parts longitudinallyaxially aligned and so movable in relation to one another; the first ofsaid shaft parts having an operating end extending longitudinallyaxially movably through the top closurebushing; the second separableshaft part having at its outer end an impact-imparting shaft extendinglongitudinally axially movable through the bottom closure-bushing,whereby the outer end of said impact shaft strikingly can impart a blowto a suitable element interposed in the path of movement of said outerend of said impact shaft and holding outwardly extending puncturingmeans having an outwardly extendable puncturing end, to cause said outerpuncturing ends of said puncturing means to puncture and penetrate asurface located near enough to be reached and penetnated by said outerends following the delivery of said blow to said puncturing means; meanswithin and intermediate the ends of said barrel for propelling thesecond of said separable shaft parts toward the application end of saidbarrel, and restraining means engageable therein for engaging saidsecond shaft part to restrain said second shaft part against suchmovement as said first shaft part is being so moved; and meansintermediate the ends of the barrel for releasing said restraining meanswhile said second shaft part is still stationary; and within saidbarrel, said propelling means engaging with said second shaft part forpropelling it longitudinally axially toward said application end of thebarrel upon withdrawing said restraining means therefor therefrom; andWithin said barrel and engaging with said first shaft part, means forlongitudinally axially returning said first shaft part to about itsstarting location directly after removal therefrom of the force thatdirected it toward the application end, :and after the second shaft partwas directed toward said application end; and means interconnecting saidtwo shaft parts for drawing the second part back into the bottomclosure-bushing as said first shaft part is being drawn back to aboutits starting location.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for restraining thesecond shaft part from moving toward the application end as the firstshaft part is doing so, comprises a ball cam engaged between a portionof said second shaft part and a shoulder in the interior of said barrel.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interior of said barrelhas an impact piston spring chamber, and the means for propelling saidsecond shaft part toward the application end is a compressible springencircling part of said shaft and which spring is compressed within saidimpact piston spring chamber.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interior of said barrelhas an operating handle return spring chamber, and outside of saidbarrel an operating handle is affixed to said rst part of said shaft;and the means for propelling said first part of said shaft away from theapplication end is a compressible resilient spring encircling said firstpart of said shaft, and which compressible spring is compressed withinsaid handle return spring chamber.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, which is effective to puncture theskin, and wherein to the outer end of the application end of the devicethere is attached holding and securing means for holding tightly securedto it, while the device is to be used for causing skin puncturing, areadily removable skin-puncturing needle-holding assembly includingtherein an axially longitudinally movable needle-holding head; and forholding said assembly and the needle holding head in it so positionedfor the inner end of the head to be struck by the outer end of theimpact-imparting shaft when the latter is propelled outwardly, wherebysaid head is advanced sharply to cause each needle held by it topenetrate the skin; said holding and securing means including meanscooperatively operable simply to release readily the needle-holdingassembly as a unit even by merely allowing it to fall off by gravity,and then to let it be replaced similarly readily by another suchassembly, and all without any need to remove any other part of thedevice.

6, In a surface puncturing device, a cylindrical barrel having anoperating end and a puncture application end, said operating endterminating with an axially transverse end face; attached at the outerend of said application end, holding and securing means for holdingreadily rer movably tightly secured to said end a readily releasableunitary puncturing needle holding assembly including therein an axiallylongitudinally movable needle-holding head; an impact-imparting shaftmember longitudinally axially impellably movable within said barrel toenable the lower end of said shaft to deliver a surface-puncturing forceagainst the inner end of the needle-holding head; means within saidbarrel and cooperatively in contact with said shaft member and capableof developing about it a releasable force that can impel it toward saidhead; within said barrel and engageable with said shaft releasablerestraining means arranged to restrain the shaft member, while saidforce thus is being developed, with its lower end at a location where itwould be out of contact with the needle-holding head; within saidbarrel, means operable on said restraining means t release it when theshaft member is to be propelled toward the application end; saidneedle-holding assembly holding and securing means (a) being so locatedat the application end of the barrel to be able to hold a unitaryneedle-holding assembly secured to the outer end of said end of thebarrel in such position for the inner end of the needleholding head tobe struck by the lower end of the impact-imparting shaft after it isreleased from its restraining means, to advance the head sharply tocause each needle held by it to penetrate the intended surface; and

(b) including means cooperatively operable to hold the unitaryneedle-holding assembly securely while the device is being operated topuncture a surface, and movable simply to release readily saidneedle-holding assembly as a unit even by merely allowing it to fall offby gravity, and then to let it be replaced similarly readily, and allwithout any need to remove any other part of the device.

7. In a surface puncturing device, a cylindrical barrel having anoperating end and a puncture application end, end, said operating endterminating with an axially transverse end face; attached at the outerend of said application end, holding and securing means for holdingreadily removably tightly secured to said end a readily releasableunitary puncturing-needle-holding assembly including therein an axiallylongitudinally movable needleholding head; an impact-imparting shaftmember longitudinally axially impellably movable within said barrel toenable the lower end of said shaft to deliver a surface-puncturing forceagainst the inner end of the needleholding head; means within saidbarrel and cooperatively in contact with said shaft member and capableof developing about it a releasable force that can impel it toward saidhead; within said barrel and engageable with said shaft, releasablerestraining means arranged to restrain the shaft member, while saidforce thus is being developed, with its lower' end at a location whereit would be out of Contact with the needle-holding head; within saidbarrel means operable on said restraining means to release it when theshaft member is to be i propelled toward the application end; saidneedle-holding assembly holding and securing means comprisingthreadengaging means on the outer cylindrical surface of the applicationend of the barrel; a bushing having threadengaging means at least in theupper end of its inner wall; said bushing being removably attached tosaid application end of the barrel by engagement of its saidthread-engaging means on the thread-engaging means on said wall of saidbushing; said bushing having about part of the periphery of its outerend a radially inwardly turned ange; the thread-engaging means on theinner wall of the bushing, the thread-engaging means on the applicationend of the barrel, and said flange being so positioned relative to oneanother to enable the bushing to be screwed onto the application end ofthe barrel to draw the inner surface of said flange sufficiently closeto the axially transverse end face of the barrel to enable sald flangesecurely to engage between it and said end face of the barrel, a beadextending radially outwardly from the inner end of the unitarypuncturing-needle-holdlng assembly thereby to be readily removably heldtightly against that end of the barrel; the said flange on the bushingextending around the periphery of the outer end of the bushing to theextent sufficient to enable said flange to hold securely between it andsaid end face the unitary needle-holding assembly and to leaveunencumbered the rest of the periphery of the outer end of the bushingto an extent sufficient to enable the bead of said unitary assembly tobe slipped in between the bushing flange and said end face and besecured therebetween by tightly screwing the bushing along the barrel;and whereby simply unscrewing the bushing for even less than a wholeturn is sufficient to release said grip of the bead of the unitaryassembly between the bushing flange and the end face of the barrel toallow the unitary assembly to be removed, even by simply falling off,from the device and without any need for entirely unscrewing andremoving the bushing.

8. A needle head assembly for a surface puncturing device having holdingand securing means for a needleholding assembly, which assemblycomprises a needle head having a needle head base and at least one skinpuncturing needle depending therefrom; a needle cup having a closed baseat one end and being open at the other to receive and encircle said head:and with the at least one needle extending into the interior of saidcup; a resilient compressible spring of such dimensions to beresiliently compressibly engaged between the base of said needle headand of said cup; for each said needle a slot in the base of said cupaligned to be in registry l0 with its respective said needle so thatsaid needle can pass through said slot; and means extending radiallyfrom the periphery of said cup for engagement by the holding andsecuring means of said puncturng device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 802,247 10/05Traxel 30-367 3,029,512 4/ 62 Saxton 30-367 3,039,467 6/ 62 Stone et al.30-367 FOREIGN PATENTS 741,774 l2/ 55 Great Brita-in.

286,128 6/ 31 Italy.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD B. WHITMORE, JORDAN FRANKLIN,

Examiners.

1. IN A SURFACE PUNCTURING AND PENETRATING DEVICE, A CYLINDRICAL BARRELHAVING AN OPERATING END AND A PUNCTURE APPLICATION END; A TOPCLOSURE-BUSHING ATTACHED AT THE OPERATING END THEREOF; A BOTTOMCLOSURE-BUSHING ATTACHED AT THE OTHER AND APPLICATION END THEREOF;CO-AXIALLY POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BARREL AN AXIALLY LONGITUDINALLYMOVABLE SHAFT HAVING TWO SEPARABLE PARTS LONGITUDINALLY AXIALLY ALIGNEDAND SO MOVABLE IN RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER; THE FIRST OF SAID SHAFT PARTSHAVING AN OPERATING END EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AXIALLY MOVABLY THROUGHTHE TOP CLOSUREBUSHING; THE SECOND SEPARABLE SHAFT PART HAVING AT ITSOUTER END AN IMPACT-IMPARTING SHAFT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AXIALLYMOVABLE THROUGH THE BOTTOM CLOSURE-BUSHING, WHEREBY THE OUTER END OFSAID IMPACT SHAFT STRIKINGLY CAN IMPART A BLOW TO A SUITABLE ELEMENTINTERPOSED IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID OUTER END OF SAID IMPACTSHAFT AND HOLDING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PUNCTURING MEANS HAVING ANOUTWARDLY EXTENDABLE PUNCTURING END, TO CAUSE SAID OUTER PUNCTURING ENDSOF SAID PUNCTURING MEANS TO PUNCTURE AND PENETRATE A SURFACE LOCATEDNEAR ENOUGH TO BE REACHED AND PENETRATED BY SAID OUTER ENDS FOLLOWINGTHE DELIVERY OF SAID BLOW TO SAID PUNCTURING MEANS; MEANS WITHIN ANDINTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID BARREL FOR PROPELLING THE SECOND OF SAIDSEPARABLE SHAFT PARTS TOWARD THE APPLICATION END OF SAID BARREL, ANDRESTRAINING MEANS ENGAGEABLE THEREIN FOR ENGAGING SAID SECOND SHAFT PARTTO RESTRAIN SAID SECOND SHAFT PART AGAINST SUCH MOVEMENT AS SAID FIRSTSHAFT PART IS BEING SO MOVED; AND MEANS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THEBARREL FOR RELEASING SAID RESTRAINING MEANS WHILE SAID SECOND SHAFT PARTIS STILL STATIONARY; AND WITHIN SAID BARREL, SAID PROPELLING MEANSENGAGING WITH SAID SECOND SHAFT PART FOR PROPELLING IT LONGITUDINALLYAXIALLY TOWARD SAID APPLICATION END OF THE BARREL UPON WITHDRAWING SAIDRESTRAINING MEANS THEREFOR THEREFROM; AND WITHIN SAID BARREL ANDENGAGING WITH SAID FIRST SHAFT PART, MEANS FOR LONGITUDINALLY AXIALLYRETURNING SAID FIRST SHAFT PART TO ABOUT ITS STARTING LOCATION DIRECTLYAFTER REMOVAL THEREFROM OF THE FORCE THAT DIRECTED IT TOWARD THEAPPLICATION END, AND AFTER THE SECOND SHAFT PART WAS DIRECTED TOWARDSAID APPLICATION END; AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID TWO SHAFT PARTS FORDRAWING THE SECOND PART BACK INTO THE BOTTOM CLOSURE-BUSHING AS SAIDFIRST SHAFT PART IS BEING DRAWN BACK TO ABOUT ITS STARTING LOCATION.